Bastrop Creative Agency

BCA is a small yet dynamic creative advertising design firm. We work in all media, specializing in our local community, Bastrop. www.bastropcreativeagency.com

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Bastrop Health and Fitness Magazine 2015

Get healthy and fit in Bastrop, TX

Was your New Year's Resolution to get fit and healthy in 2015? If so, we have just what you need. Check out our newest publication the Bastrop Health and Fitness Magazine. Bastrop is full of healthy options, fitness centers, nature trails and walks, and so much more. Give the magazine a read, share it with all of your friends, and let us know what you think. Comment your resolution and plan below for a chance to win a gift certificate to help you get fit in 2015!

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‘A bit of Britain, a glass of Cabernet’

The Front Room Wine Bar opens in Smithville

By Terry Hagerty – Contributing writer

Care for a glass of Goose Sauvignon Blanc, Caposaldo Chianti or an elegant 10-year-old Taylor tawny port on Main Street in Smithville? Then head to the fabulous and recently-opened establishment The Front Room Wine Bar at 116 Main St. Owned by Victoria and Edward Allen of Smithville, the wine bar aims to please wine connoisseurs and causal fans alike as well as “revive the lost art of conversation.”

“This place is for people who love wine and people who want to learn about wine,” Victoria said during a Dec. 17 pre-opening gathering for media and special guests. While an excellent staff served the guests, Victoria pointed out that one of the centerpieces of the exquisitely lighted place is a marble-top bar that draws customers to it right away. The overall look of the room with two-seat wood tables, large cushioned wall chairs for the larger circular tables, and vintage lighting is modeled on a late 1800s British-style pub, Victoria added.

And if last Thursday’s soft opening is any indication – and it surely must be – then customers are going to appreciate the superb service provided by a very focused staff. The staff of the wine bar is managed by Susan Curry, who is also on the board of Smithville Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors. She and Victoria had been “working very closely since April” to get the place ready for opening on  Dec. 18. Victoria, who has lived in Smithville since 1978 and hails from Edinburgh, Scotland, proudly declared during an interview, “I just became a U.S. citizen this week!” Edward is a Smithville native.

Besides the fine wines offered by glass or bottle, the bar also offers craft beers and appetizers. Some of the  craft beers include Leinenkugel Cranberry Ginger (Wisconsin), Snowdrift Vanilla Porter (on draft) and Dogfish Head Midas Touch. There’s also several Shiner beers, Dos Equis, Sierra Nevada IPA and Guinness. There’s also non-alcoholic Sharps beer. Have an appetite? Try the Lobster Mac ‘n’ Cheese, Baby Beef Wellingtons, shrimp & crab served with red sauce or “Asian Inspiration – a tender dark-meat chicken accompanied by three flakey shrimp rolls." Cap it off with a dessert – Mini Lave Cake, ‘Cheesecake for Two’, or Crème Brulee. Then, come on back next week and bring your friends before the line goes out the door and winds down to Railroad Park! The Front Room Wine Bar is open Wednesdays through Saturdays – 5-10 p.m. Wednesday and Thursday; and 5-11 p.m. on Friday and Saturday. For further information, contact Curry at 512-237-3626.

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As we take a look back on the year, take a look at some of the wonderful photos Terry Hagerty took at the Veteran's Day Car Show from Nov. 7-9.

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Veterans, car show keynote weekend celebration

Main Street will be packed with classic cars on Saturday; veterans ceremony at 11 a.m.

By Terry Hagerty – Contributing writer

Honoring veterans, seeing classic cars and hearing live music are all part of this weekend’s Veterans Day Car Show. Although Veterans Day is actually this coming Tuesday, Nov. 11, festivities will occur a few days earlier.

A “Classic Car Cruise” along Main Street from 5:30-8:30 p.m. will happen today, Friday. Saturday’s events are the main attraction starting off with the Classic Car Show at 9 a. m. along Main Street. There will also be a street fair, shopping and live music. The annual Veterans March & Tribute Ceremony gets going at 11 a.m., followed by a Texas Ranger Memorial Cross Dedication at 1:30 p.m. at Fairview Cemetery. (The cemetery is located on Hwy. 95, approximately a quarter mile north of the intersection of Hwy. 95 with Chestnut St/Hwy. 21 East.)

On Saturday evening, the annual Red, White and Blue Banquet – honoring veterans and their relatives – will get started at 5:45 p.m. at the Bastrop High School cafetorium. Meet special guest Betty Tisdale, founder of H.A.L.O (which assists orphans in war-torn countries),veterans and their families, see Camp Swift military exhibits, military re-enactors, Bastrop County Veterans Affairs Office representatives and other local sponsors. The formal program begins at 6:30 p.m. and includes dinner. Banquet proceeds assist local veterans service organizations, benevolence funds, and the Bastrop High School NJROTC program throughout the year. For event sponsors and supporters of veteran tickets, call 512-303-0810 or 512-284-0220. Ticket Cost:  $12.50 each for veterans, veteran spouse, or widow; and  $25 each for non-veteran tickets  Complimentary tickets are available for veterans. (Reservations are required; call 512-303-0810 or see www.rwbveterans.com)

On Sunday, there will be live music on Main Street, from 1-5 p.m. Local race cars from the Cotton Bowl Speedway will be seen, as well as new vehicles from Lost Pines Toyota. Saturday’s lineup of live music will be: 10-10:30 a.m. – The Honor Choirs; 12:30-1:30 p.m. – The Carper Family; 2-3:30 p.m. – Hot Texas Swing Band; and from 4-5 p.m. – The Peterson Brothers; The Sunday music lineup will be: 1-2 p.m. – The LarryLanders (Larry Wilson’s band); 2:30-3:30 p.m. – Amanda Pearcy; and 4-5 p.m. – Jenny Richards. Larry Wilson will debut his new song, “Stand.” Wilson said the song is “about a challenge to Americans to think about patriotism – it’s a song I wrote for veterans and for Americans overall.” Wilson’s band features Ben Zuniga on guitar (Zuniga is also the lead guitarist/songwriter for the Bastrop band, Princeton Runaway), Wally Doggett on drums and Elias Montemayor on bass and vocals.

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H-E-B closes after Tuesday night fire

No injuries reported as store quickly evacuated; cause remains under investigation

Photo and Article by Terry Hagerty – Contributing writer

After a Tuesday evening fire at the Bastrop H-E-B store, it is expected to be closed for several days, if not longer, several officials have said. No one was injured in the fire that started around 9 p.m. in the southwest side of the new Plus store, according to the Bastrop Police Dept. The store has been undergoing expansion for several months, to become a “Plus” store, while remaining open.

Bastrop Police and “multiple fire departments…arrived on the scene. It appears the fire started on the southwest side of the building in one of the aisles located in the new construction area – the fire was contained to this vicinity,” according to Bastrop PD. Customers and employees had evacuated prior to police arrival with no reported injuries.

On Wednesday Bastrop Fire Chief Henry Perry told Bastrop Marketplace that the cause of the fire remains under investigation by the state fire marshal, with the assistance of the fire department. He said “fire damage” was limited to a small portion of the store – about three percent – but that smoke damage had occurred throughout the store. There was also some damage from the store’s water sprinkler system and water put on the fire by firefighters.

An H-E-B employee manning one of several blocked-off entrances around the store on Wednesday – with the signs that read “Store closed” – said, “Everybody got out OK.” He also said that supervisors had told him the store would be close for several days, at the least, due to soot and smoke. Employees manning the barricades were diligently answering questions – as best they could – from the dozens of motorists who pulled up, wanting to know what happened.

Total damage to the store is unknown at this time, with an assessment in progress. Once this is complete, a determination will be made as to when the store will re-open.

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To be ‘zombie chimp’ or Snow White?

Lining up costumes and pumpkins for Halloween

Photos and Article by Terry Hagerty

Shall I be Superman, Snow White or a bone-chilling evil doer? Getting the right costume, carving the proper pumpkin, and getting ready for Bastrop’s Halloween Fest 2014 are favorite subjects as Halloween fast approaches. And don’t forget to see some spooky neighborhood yards in Bastrop in the lead-up to Halloween night.

Costume delights: For those not wanting to cut two holes for eyes in a bedsheet for a quick and cheap ‘ghost’ costume, the choices abound for getting the right costume for Halloween. Wallet-saving choices are handy at several thrift stores, including Bastrop’s Goodwill and Bits and Pieces. At Goodwill a large assortment of witches’ hats ($3.99 to $10) and plastic pumpkins share space with Snow White, Spiderman, Superman, Renaissance Queen and ‘sexy-nurse’ costumes – plus scary masks. The young boys will love the Superman costume with its chest piece, cape, snap-on arm guards and a bendable (rubber) crowbar. Sometimes just a mask can make the costume, if fitted with the right grungy clothes and a bit of splattered (fake) blood. “Vampire blood” goes for 79 cents. It says on the front package, “Looks and flows like real blood” and on back are “some bloody suggestions.” A “zombie chimp” mask at Goodwill certainly does the trick, too. Nearby are pirate “peg-leg socks” and feathered eyelashes (just 79 cents for the eyelashes). Bits & Pieces also offers a fine selection of costumes, plus scary decorations at the front of the store. Watch out for that very large spider in a web crawling over the front counter. There are also a large selection of costumes and accessories at retail outlets such as Walmart and H-E-B, and other smaller local stores – just shop around!

Have the urge to make your own costume? Google “make Halloween costumes” and see numerous information choices, such as: BuzzFeed.com; realsimple.com (“10 Last-Minute Halloween-Costume Ideas”); familycrafts; and popsugar.com, etc. If you're looking to save some money this Halloween, you can likely make a quick and easy Halloween costume with clothing you might already have around the house; the websites will point the way.

Pumpkin ready: An exquisitely carved pumpkin on the front lawn with an interior light will add to the delight of trick-o-treater’s on Halloween. But a first rule of thumb is, let the adults do the carving/hollowing out of the pumpkin – kids can help draw the outlines of eyes, teeth, mouth. Inspect the pumpkin before getting to a store’s checkout line. Beware of discoloration, bumps and gouges – which contribute to rapid deterioration. A sturdy stem is a good sign. And the famous ‘thumb thump’ will tell you the pumpkin is ripe if you hear a hollow sound. Unless you have a large pumpkin budget, purchase a pumpkin closer to Halloween, knowing that it will likely start rotting after about a week or two. Curious about the tradition of pumpkins at Halloween? It traces back to several centuries to the British Isles. According to the History Channel, in Ireland and Scotland people began to make “Jack-o-lanterns” by carving scary faces into turnips or potatoes and placing them into windows or near doors to frighten away “Stingy Jack” and other wandering evil spirits. In England, large beets were/are still used.  According to lore, Stingy Jack had a few ‘run ins with the Devil’ and was a man on the run, so to speak. Immigrants from these countries brought the jack-o-lantern tradition to the United States. They soon found that pumpkins, a fruit native to America, made perfect jack-o-lanterns.

Halloween Fest and Festival/Corn Maze: Bastrop’s Halloween Fest 2014 on Friday Oct. 31 (from 5 p.m. to midnight) brings the community and visitors together for a grand event on Main Street. Presented by the Downtown Business Alliance, the event is a joint effort among local non-profit organizations, businesses and “great volunteers.” There will be haunted movie classics at the Bastrop Opera House (on Spring Street), games, trick-or-treating (from nearby stores) and a DJ at 921 Main St. There is also a costume contest for all ages. For more info, and for business-participation forms/registration see: bastropdba.org/halloween. On Nov. 1, The Fall Festival & Corn Maze at Barton Hill Farms, offers more fun. Barton Hill Farms is set amongst 100-year-old cottonwood trees, rolling grassy hills and the picturesque Colorado River. Children and adults will enjoy the outdoor entertainment, including the corn maze, rides, games, pumpkin patch, local vendors and seeing farm animals. We welcome large groups and school field trips. The farm is located at 1115 FM 969 in Bastrop and will be open Saturdays 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. (Sundays 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.) through Nov. 9 .For more information and to buy and tickets, go to www.bartonhillfarms.com.

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Bastrop Area Upcoming Events

by Terry Hagerty

Friday, Oct. 10: Ready for some great Bastrop golf to help veterans and a chance to win $1 million? Join the Lost Pines Leathernecks (Marine Corps League Detachment 1384) of Bastrop this Friday as they honor all veterans at the Veterans Appreciation Charity Golf Tournament. It will be a great day of golf and fun events at Bastrop’s ColoVista Golf Club (www.colovistagolf.com). The event will include a four-person scramble, awards reception and dinner following the golf. Shotgun start is at 12:30 p.m. Registration and practice range opens at 10:30 a.m. Four lucky individuals that purchase a winning raffle ticket (which will be announced at end of tournament) will have the opportunity to take swing for a hole-in-one on a 165-yard hole to win $1,000,000. Four other golfers will win a chance to sink a hole-in-one for $100,000. Call Donald Fanin at 512-750-9200 for more information or visit: http://www.golfdigestplanner.com/25925-LPLCharityGolf/  to register.

Saturday, Sunday Oct. 11-12: Smithville hosts the 6th Annual Texas Photo Festival with the main event on Sunday (10 a.m. – 5 p.m.) on downtown Main Street. The event kicks off on Saturday evening at 7 p.m. with a showing of the photography works of Arthur Meyerson at Mosaic Art and Home. Sunday is packed with a full day of photo opportunities and talks offered by professional photographers, starting at 10 a.m. The day will wrap up with a Photographer Mixer hosted by the Lost Pines Artisan Alliance from 5-7 p.m. Models are still needed. The festival is a unique event for photographers of all skill levels and includes classes by photo experts, portfolio reviews, photographing live models and action sets on the street, a contest, photography showings and gallery openings. For more information go to www.TexasPhotoFestival.org or www.smithvilletx.org, or contact the Smithville Area Chamber of Commerce at 512-237-2313. Follow us on Facebook at Texas Photo Festival.

Saturday, Oct. 18 – “Dinner at Seven” is a unique fundraiser for the Children’s Advocacy Center. (Note: registration/payment deadline is this Friday, Oct. 10.) Seven area neighbors will open up their gorgeous homes, where each will host up to eight guests for a fabulous dinner. Each location will have its own unique elements for diners to experience. The menus include exquisite entrees such as: standing rib roast, grilled salmon and chicken marsala. Eight guests will get to explore one homeowner’s wine cellar, while another lucky group is “listening for ghosts” at an historic home. In all, 56 people can enjoy an evening of great food and fascinating company for the opportunity to support one of Bastrop’s most worthwhile organizations. After the private dinners, the guests, their hosts and volunteers will come together at the Jerry Fay Wilhelm Performing Arts Center for desserts created by local chefs Chris Cartwright, Jean Lang and bakeries such as Simply Sweet, Miles of Chocolate and Maxine’s. To get tickets, go to http://cacdinneratseven.eventbrite.com or call April at 512-321-6161. Admission details:  $100 - Per Person, or for $1,000, reserve a house of your choice (seats 8)  

Saturday, Oct. 18 – Help benefit The Soldiers Project and The Battle Buddy Foundation with a PTSD (Post-traumatic stress disorder) charity and awareness event at Bastrop American Legion Post 533. There will be a full day of music, with performers The Pulpit Ramblers, Briana Adams and Homer Henderson. There will also be horseshoe/washer tournaments, motorcycle games, “duck-poop bingo,” poker hands and a cakewalk. (The Legion is located on Loop 150 East, across from the entrance to Bastrop State Park).

Saturday, Oct. 25 – Bullying Prevention Month is closing out with a free showing of “The Karate Kid” (2010) under the stars at Fisherman’s Park in Bastrop from 6:30-9 p.m. This is your last chance to sign the pledge and show your support. The movie starts at dark (roughly between 6:30-7 p.m.).

Sunday, Oct. 26 – Celebrate the rejuvenation of the Lost Pines Nature Trails Park with an open house, including free refreshments, river exhibitions, guided tours of the trails and interesting facts about the Colorado River. The event is from 2-4 p.m. at 373 Riverside Dr. (directions: follow Colorado River Refuge signs on Tahitian Drive, turn on Riverside after reaching gravel, and look for the blue Texas Paddling Trail sign on left.) For more information call Dorothy Skarnulis at 512-581-8258 or email: [email protected].

Friday, Oct. 31 – Halloween Fest 2014: Presented by the Downtown Business Alliance, the annual event is a joint effort of businesses, local non-profits and great volunteers. There will be haunted movie classics at the Bastrop Opera House on Spring Street, games, trick-or-treating, a DJ at 921 Main St., and a costume contest for all ages. The night ends with a “Thriller”’ dance event. For more info and for business-participation forms and registration, visit bastropdba.org/Halloween.

Saturday, Nov. 1 – “Power of the Purse” – This benefit for the Boys & Girls Clubs of Bastrop County will feature a Ladies Luncheon and Style Show at the beautiful Hyatt Lost Pines Resort & Spa. Regional designers and retail outlets will be showcased. The style show features prominent community members modeling the latest seasonal fashions. There will also be opportunities to purchase holiday gifts, live and silent auctions and a cash bar for drinks. Tickets ($40/one or $75/two) include style show and lunch. Buy tickets online at:  www.bastropbgc.net/events  or at the Bastrop Chamber office at 927 Main St. Visit www.bastropbgc.net  for more information. 

Saturday, Nov. 8 – Bastrop’s annual Red White & Blue Veterans Banquet at Bastrop High School cafetorium. Honor veterans and their families, view military displays and bid on silent auction. Doors open at 5:45 p.m., formal program starts at 6:30 p.m. The guest speaker is Rear Admiral, Assistant Surgeon General Epifanio Elizondo.  Tickets for veterans (or their spouse/widow) are $12.50; individual tickets are $25. Sponsors are needed to ‘buy tickets’ for veterans. Call 512-303-0810 or 512-284-0220 for information.

(Ongoing Thursday. Nov. 9) – Enjoy the Fall Festival & Corn Maze at Barton Hill Farms, set amongst 100-year-old cottonwood trees, rolling grassy hills and the Colorado River. The festival and maze location is the perfect setting for kids to enjoy true outdoor entertainment – including rides, games, a corn maze, pumpkin patch, local vendors and farm animals. Large groups and school fieldtrips are also welcomed. Located at 1115 FM 969, Bastrop. Open Saturdays, 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. and Sundays 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. from Sept. 27 – Nov. 9. For more information on activities and tickets (can be purchased online) go to www.bartonhillfarms.com. 

(Editor’s note: The preceding listings are not meant as a complete listing of all Bastrop-area events in the coming weeks. Please see other appropriate listings/websites, including www.bastropchamber.com, to see a selection of more events).

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Bastrop Adventure Book Launches

Photos and Article by Terry Hagerty

The inaugural issue of “Bastrop Adventure Book” – the benchmark magazine of the Bastrop Creative Agency – hit area newsstands and households with quite a splash this week.

The 32-page glossy-paper magazine, which comes out bi-monthly, is chock full of advertising, shopping coupons from area businesses, news and feature articles, plus photo spreads. It all came about through the hard work of the five founding partners of the public relations/advertising agency: Jonathan Adam, Chase Wilkinson, Debbie Denny, Colin Guerra and Mark Winslett. (Freelance writer/photographer Terry Hagerty also contributed to the first issue).

“Out of my 34 years in the advertising/publication business, this is my favorite project because of the incredible teamwork,” said Debbie Denny, the agency’s sales director. Denny has been a longtime fixture in the Bastrop business scene, having worked for a decade in advertising sales for the local newspaper as well as serving with key volunteer groups, such as the Downtown Business Alliance. Speaking of the numerous coupons offered by advertisers within the magazine’s pages, Denny added, “This is one of the nicest looking publications and [it has] great savings offered for the community.”

Business leaders were also thrilled with the ‘Bastrop-centric’ magazine. “It’s looks very nice, very impressive,” said Bastrop Chamber of Commerce President/CEO Becki Womble. "I’m excited to have this piece in our community to help promote Bastrop.”

Last Thursday, the partners gathered in the agency's office to open up a shipment of boxes containing 7,500 issues fresh off the press. They even had time to pose for a quick photo with the stacked boxes of magazines.

Guerra, who shares graphic design duties with Winslett, seconded the efficient collaboration of working with his partners on the first issue: “I couldn’t be happier about how the magazine looks. It was definitely a team effort all around and a 100-percent local effort including the photography, design, writing, editing, sales and the printing. I couldn’t think of a better celebration of Bastrop culture than calling it the 'Bastrop Adventure Book.’”

On both Thursday and Friday of last week, the partners and their friends, family members and other supporters were ‘out in the neighborhoods’ and visiting area businesses and governmental offices, distributing the free magazine.

Stay tuned for the next issue, due to come out in Early November. Until then, visit: www.bastropmarketplace.com  to read about the new agency and read feature stories and breaking news as well as a downloadable version of the magazine. Don’t forget to call Debbie Denny to place an add in the next issue: 512-844-3930.

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Police make arrest connected to medical store fire

Photo by Terry Hagerty

***Breaking News****

Bastrop Police arrested a man they believe to be linked to the arson and burglary that took place on the morning of Sept. 9. The man, Eric Wayne Prachyl, was taken into custody during a traffic stop when police matched his vehicles description and found evidence that linked him to the morning’s incident.

Bastrop Police responded at approximately 2:50 a.m. to a fire at BMC Medical Services and Annex on South Hasler St. A witness made the call upon seeing flames coming from the business. The witness also reported someone driving a tan or brown Ford Ranger with a camper on the back pull up to Clint’s Liquor in the same strip center. The suspect made away with numerous bottles of liquor after making several trips into the store. The vehicle then fled heading North on Hasler.

This was not the only incident of the night though. Police and fire were already responding to another fire on South Hasler on the North Side of TX 71 at Lone Star Medical Clinic and Open MRI. Both medical stores were badly damaged in the fires. The surrounding businesses also suffered damages. There were no injuries reported in either fire.

Prachyl was booked into the Bastrop County Jail and after being arrested for Arson and Burglary of a Building. He was taken in without incident.  

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Quinn headed to Frisco -- Texas, that is

Photo and Article By Terry Hagerty

News and Entertainment Writer

It was an opportunity he just couldn’t pass up, said Dave Quinn, executive director of the Bastrop Economic Development Corporation.

Quinn said he gave his notice on Aug. 29 that he was leaving his Bastrop post after three years to be vice-president with the city of Frisco’s Economic Development Corporation.

“They asked me to apply,” Quinn said of being approached by officials from Frisco at the end of July and then being offered the job. “It is an honor. Frisco is a well-respected community and a growing city.”

The burgeoning community of nearly 130,000 people is north of the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex, near McKinney. It is approximately 25 minutes from the Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport.

Quinn, 39, said his last day on the job in Bastrop will be Friday, Sept. 19. He emphasized that it was the challenge of moving up to a bigger playing field – so to speak – that made him decide to jump, after he had just been recently renewed in his Bastrop EDC contract.

 “It was an opportunity career-wise that I couldn’t pass up. It’s really a leap-frog in my career path,” Quinn said.

Quinn also indirectly addressed – when asked by a reporter – whether a rather emotional BEDC Board of Directors meeting this past summer had any effect on his decision. During that meeting board member Willie DeLaRosa claimed in a noticeably loud voice that Quinn was spending too much time down the street at the Bastrop Chamber of Commerce office.

Steve Mills, chair of the BEDC Board of Directors, said shortly after DeLaRosa’s reproach that Quinn was creating good “synergy” by interacting with the Chamber.

“I’m not running from anything,” Quinn said. “No one caused me to look elsewhere (for a job). I was recruited by Frisco and they put together a really competitive package.”

Quinn said he believes he’s passing on to his executive assistant Angela Ryan, and whoever steps into his post, a solid foundation, including innovative social media efforts.

“We have definitely elevated the branding of the Bastrop Economic Development Corporation and the community in general,” Quinn said of his web work and stressing the importance of social media, adding that Ryan had been of immense help.

“Angela has managed the backside of our website (bastropedc.org) and we’ve worked very closely together on the philosophy behind it all,” Quinn said. Ryan is nearing six years with the BEDC in October.

He also acknowledged that he has built a solid reputation across the state for his social media skills. “I’m known in the industry for pioneering the use of social media as an economic development tool,” he said. “I’ve been doing it a long time.”

But Quinn also has mixed feelings about leaving a community he loves. “It’s hard to leave,” Quinn said quietly near the end of an interview Friday.

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Colin and Mark from Bastrop Creative Agency made this video featuring Dave Quinn in 2013 as a promotional tool to market Bastrop for the BEDC. The video received a Gold Excellence in Economic Development Award.

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Southside Market in Bastrop Fires Up Barbecue Fantasies

Watching the smoker pit roll down the street towards the new Southside Market in Bastrop was like watching a rock star’s tour bus roll into town. With cameras from the Bastrop Creative Agency at the ready, the trailer rumbled up the uneven dirt and rock driveway to the construction site. As I stood in the mid-morning summer heat, I felt the excitement that one of the powerhouses in Texas barbecue was finally here in Bastrop, Texas. One of my favorite institutions was now my neighbor.

Crewmen hooked the smoker to a crane at the back of the restaurant. I hid away in a corner of the site like a child staying up late on to see Santa on Christmas Eve. Part wide-eyed wonder, part giddy excitement. Looking up towards the sky anticipating all manners of goodies coming my way.

Ever since I returned to Bastrop in June after a year away at school, I’d been anticipating the grand opening of Southside Market and Wednesday morning we inched just a bit closer. Set to open in the Fall, each new addition adds more dreams of fresh pork steaks and perfectly smoked brisket, delicious sausage and fall-off-the-bone beef ribs.

Soon we'll all get to see those smokers in action and truly understand what all the hype was about.

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Colin and Mark hit the Colorado River last week for the second annual SUP CUP in Bastrop. Check out video they captured from the weekends festivities.

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Telling Your Brand's Story - Voice

Where there is text, there is a story. From your mission statement to your Facebook posts to the captions on your photos, every time the written word is seen it should be working towards telling your brand's story.

Understanding how to incorporate narrative in the most unlikely of sources is the key to boosting your brand in the world of modern marketing. With more and more of our attention moving to the internet and social media, it is important to know how to effectively tailor the written word to each new medium.

There are many keys to creating crafted content. One of the major keys is your understanding brand’s voice.

You want to make sure that your voice is clear and consistent and constantly reflects your brand image. If your business is a fun and carefree environment then your content should read similarly. A more relaxed tone to your messages, a more accessible vocabulary, engaging the reader through humor and other fun tricks. The same could be said if your business was more straightforward and professional. Your voice must match the way you’re presenting yourself. What works for to sell clothes at Wal-Mart does not necessarily work for Coach.

Knowing how to represent your brand voice is all about knowing both what your company stands for and what your clientele is looking for from you. If you’re doing it right, these two should be very similar things.

A brand voice is built through consistency and care. Its a slow build but with the right attention to detail and a dedicated team managing and creating content it will eventually prove to work for itself.

-Check back in every week to find helpful tips for telling your brand's story and learn how Bastrop Creative Agency is using these keys to do that for you.

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One Week in the Books

Wow. What a difference a week makes. We at Bastrop Creative Agency had our first company meeting almost three weeks ago and with a presentation last Tuesday began a whirlwind week of meetings and business.

It seems like just yesterday that we were all gathered around a table in the conference room of the Holiday Inn Express, sharing 10 interesting facts about ourselves to the group. Somewhere between Jonathan’s tales of paying for college through chess tournament winnings and Chase reminiscing on the time he used chewed bubblegum as a ninja headband when he was little five independent minds formed a company.

Two weeks were spent ironing out details and rates, constructing a website and converting the conference room into the Bastrop Creative Agency's office.

This past Tuesday morning we met with the realtors of Keller Williams and suddenly, almost out of nowhere, our week became booked solid. A flood of interest came in through our Facebook page, from friends and past clients from other work, right down to random encounters in the barbershop.

We look toward Week Two with a boat-load of enthusiasm. Our creative team is already hard at work on a few websites for clients signed this week while our Sales Director is poised to make more appointments and bring more clients into the Bastrop Creative Agency family. The office is buzzing with excitement and we’re ready to share it with you.

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Chase Wilkinson, Director of Copy, recently graduated from Savannah College of Art and Design cum laude with a degree in Writing. He is in charge of all written content, scripts and copy as well as composing official press document.

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Colin Guerra, Creative Director, has worked with Mark Winslett, Art Director, throughout Bastrop County for several years. Together they are the core of Bastrop Creative Agency’s creative drive. They offer a full spectrum of services from film production and video editing to graphic design and web design to print layout design.

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Jonathan Adam, Chief Operating Officer, has a passion for start-ups, working with Y-Suite Media Solutions. With his coding expertise, Bastrop Creative Agency has the ability to offer custom websites among many other innovations.